Thunder rides hot hand for key victory

STOCKTON - Max Boisclair had another big game and plenty of help as the Thunder picked up a crucial win against the Las Vegas Wranglers.

Scott Linesburgh

STOCKTON - Max Boisclair had another big game and plenty of help as the Thunder picked up a crucial win against the Las Vegas Wranglers.

Boisclair scored Stockton's first goal and had three points as his team beat Las Vegas 4-3 on Friday in front of a crowd of 4,456 at Stockton Arena.

The teams have both qualified for the playoffs and are battling for the fourth seed in the ECHL's Western Conference. The Thunder (31-23-9, 71 points) now has a six-point lead over the Wranglers (30-26-5, 65) and the Colorado Eagles (30-26-5), who beat the Utah 4-3 in overtime Friday.

"Everybody chipped in tonight and we played hard," Boisclair said. "We wanted to plant a seed in their head that if we play them in the playoffs, it's going to be a hard battle."

Besides Boisclair, Stockton got assistance throughout its lineup. Its third line of Garet Hunt, Matt Ambroz and Colton Hayes produced two assists and a goal, the Thunder went 2 for 2 on the power play and Ryan Constant delivered one of the hardest hip checks of the year when he spun Las Vegas' Sean Wiles into the air in the second period.

"It was an important win for us, and we didn't take our foot off the pedal, which is how you have to play in the playoffs," Thunder coach Matt Thomas said.

Boisclair has been one of Stockton's most reliable scorers since joining the team Jan. 24, and he delivered again with his seventh goal of the season just 1 minute, 48 seconds into the contest. He followed a shot by Ambroz and sent the rebounding puck past Las Vegas goalie Joe Fallon. He also had assists on goals by Mike Little and Brandon Davidson in the second period.

It was Boisclair's second three-point game with the Thunder, matching the points he earned in Stockton's 4-1 win against Ontario on Feb. 24. He has 19 points in 20 games with Stockton.

"He's one of the best passers I've ever coached," Thomas said of Bosiclair. "He's got great vision and his hockey sense is strong."

Hunt increased the lead to 2-0 at the 5-minute mark when he slid between the circles and slammed a hard shot into the back of the Wranglers' net on the power play. Robbie Smith scored for Las Vegas late in the first period and former Thunder Judd Blackwater tied the game at 2-2 midway through the second, but the Thunder quickly shook off the rally and regained the lead.

Little scored 12:41 into the second with a man advantage and Davidson earned his seventh goal in 10 games to give the Thunder a 4-2 lead with a minute left in the period.

The Wranglers moved within a goal when Wiles scored with a 5-on-3 advantage and 6:24 left in the game.

Stockton acquired a backup goalie Friday when Thomas signed free agent Matt Cooper, who just completed his collegiate career.

Cooper, a native of Perrysburg, Ohio, spent four seasons at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., and compiled a record of 39-37-5 with a 3.32 goals against average and a .905 saves percentage.